Liquid-level indicator



C. E. COX.

LIQUID LEVEL INDICATOR. APPLHZAHON FRED mm. 24. 191

PatentedJunn 4f fr (ii/6572b r U. E. COX.

UQUH] LEVEL INDICATOR.

AP ucmmi Hm MAR. 24, 1919.

Patented June 14, 1921 3SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' mailed.

PATENT OFFICE.

CLAUDE E. COX,

OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

LIQUID-LEVEL mmon'ron.

Application To all. 11: how. it moi] concern Be it known that I. (LAUDEIL Cox, :1 citi zen of thg llnited States. residing at Detroit. in the codnty of :ayne and Stateof Michigan. hat s-invented certain new. and useful liuprornients in Liquid-Level indicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to liquid'level indicatorsfand particularly, in some of the details of its embodiment. to a mechanism for indicating, at the panel-board of an au tomobile, the level of the gasolene in a distant gasolene tank, usually at the rear of the car.

The objects of the invention are to pro vide a construction that may be manutaw cured at minimum cost in the variety of specially difl'erent measurements of certain parts necessary to meet the requirements of different sizes. shapes. and locations of gasolcne tanks on automobiles and diti'crent panel-board arrangements, and yet operatin; satisfactorily and accurately under any of the dimensional and directional variations that are thus imposed. In the drawings I have, of course, illustrated only a single embodiment of my invention in a device of single size. but in positions meetinn two directional requirements, but advantages, flowing from the construction. in further ability to meet variations of these conditions, will further be pointed out.

Other objects oi my invention are to secnre intrinsic SllRPl ltlty and economy o mnstru tion. ruggedness. accuracy of operation, ease and suliicicncy of lubrication under the conditions imposed by the presence of gasoleno and its tonnes in the tank: and other and further objects of my inven tion will become apparent from the follow ing description. as well as the appended claims addressed to features of construction and combinations of parts involved in such invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a general View showing a relation between the gasolene tank and point of indication quite commonly found in automobiles. such that outlined in dotted lines; Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section through a circular gasolene tank and portions of an indicator floatassembly associated therewith, with the transmission shaft paralleling the longitudi nal axis of the tan Fig. dis a. transverse 5 section through a gasolene tank of circular section, and the indicator float-assembly Specification of Letters Patent.

cured by Patented June 14. 1921.

filed March 24, 1919. Serihl Ho. 284,668.

parts, with to indicator transmission sham. (attending tr: verscly to the longitudinal axis of the tank; Fig. l is a plan view of a limit arinvan d drum; Figs. 5, details of a transmission chain; Fig. 8 is an axial vertical section through the transmission shaft, drum and housing assembly; Fig. 9 is an axial section throu h the indicator assembly; and Fig. 1 is a gage.

In the tank 1 is made a hole 2 surrounded by a. base-adopted externally-threaded collar 3. On this collar the head 4 of the float-assembly is mounted, bearing on the crown of the collar and sethe annular nut-cap 5. The head t carries the downwardly extending post 6, preferably a metal tube. cut-away at suit able parts, the head and post rigid frame on which the rotatable parts of the float-assembly are mounted. The head i has, in addition to its bottom opening 7 to receive the post, a side opening 8 throu h which connection may be made from ll framecarried transmission drum to the transmission shaft. One wall portion 9 of the cap is therefore made as a chord o the cap circle and in its threaded opening 8 the bearing member 10 is engaged. bearing member is preferably a screw cap with long internal and external hubs 11 and ill, the former extending more than halfway across the head 4 and the latter extending well outside to alford with the connected parts. Both hubs are tubular,' the bearing hub ll internally re' ceiving the hollow shaft 13 of the drum 14, the drum being a cylinder extended back over the hub and connected with the hollow 95 shaft. integrally or in other fixed fashion, by a solid end wall beyond the end of the boss. Said hollow shaft 13 preferably extends to a considerable length into the hub,

and it will be observed that this long hearion ing! is quite inaccessible to liquid from the tank even though the ap be liberally splashed. and on the other and the bearing is freely accessible to lubricant entering the hub from the transmission be described. In the'end of the hollow shaft there is fixed, as by drive fitting, brazing or otherwise, a coupler 15, having its shaftinclosed end cut down to semi-circular shape for easy 110 and rounded off at its extremity, interfitting with a complementary slip-coupler t6, the ou a 1'? it which 15 con- (3 and 7 are an routview of the its base flange forming the This 35 ample contact on shaft casing to I nected axially, as by soldering, to the flexible the extent ofone or more conyolntie transmission shaft 18. e transmission e spiral-rib so that they new? shaft and its coupler are freely rotatable in gather. The spiral coves of each d the external hub 12 which receives and supthus provided, shoul be long enough to no ports the on of the transmission shaft cascommodate the shifting of the chain length is 77 ing 19. This casing is a tube, preferabl of wise of the drum-axes incident to the brass or other relatively ductile metal, avrotation of the drum. With this coasting ing secured to it a tight collar 20, borne tion, I find, the'shaft 24 may be placed upon by a coupling nut 21 threaded into a any angular relation to transmitter shait' counter-bore on the hub, the end of the tube within a quadrant} the fitting into a smaller diameter bore adjaare indicated by Figs 2am! 3' *4 f 7 cent to the end of drum shaft 13. For conterially affecting the smoothness of venience of mounting the structure on an mission through the chain. automobile, the shaft casing 19 may be made which the two shafts will": V in two sections-united at any point by an rescribed job will be sna e s 86' external coupling 22 of any usual form. iii!- post 6 -is secured in the head 4.. a At the bottom of tubular post 6 opposite chord of the tubular post has to be cut swag r longitudinal slots 23 are out leaving the to accommodate the flat wall oir th e Lg lower portion of the tube as a fork aflordwhen the est is inserted intniiiidfasteliqd ing bearing for the cross shaft 24 to which in the head and the angular relation'of this 86' the float arm and float drum are connected. chord to the bearing holes for shaft fl'wfill Float 25 is pivoted on a transverse end porinsure assembly in the V tion 26 of a rod or arm 27, the length of It is quite important, forithe accurate-6p which from the shaft 24 must, of course, be eration of the device, that the connectij 25 in suitable proportion to the distance that chain shall work uniformly, freely, and with the float is to travel between full and easy flexion with respectto the two drums" empty indications. The arm may conto each of which it is preferablysoldeiid a veniently be made of brass so that by kinknear the middle of its center 0011, so 1; ing it the length me be varied, as indicated the chain does not unwrap to Haj m dotted lines iii ig. 3, and the rod may point. Ifind that by em laying-"a be bent so that the ivotal axis of the float ack chain as shown in i '5' to V is at any desired angle to the axis of shaft is to say a chain of wire mks each Imk 24. The inner end of the arm 27 is formed having a .back rib and down-turned loops by coiling the brass rod-stock into a hub with the fronts of the loops on separated coil, so that, in factory practice, the assemlines, I can secure the desired result hylo: -10!) bled arm and float will always be put on eating the chain so that its links hear at with the float-axis in proper relation to the their spiced loop-fronts ends or laterally arm-axis The attachment of the coil 28 to se arated curves on the drum surfaces. the shaft may-be by solderin he ductile transmission shaft housin 19 The drum 30 fixed on the siiaft 24 has a is led us need be, preferably in straight lines 165 radius in proper ratio to that of the trans and smooth curves, to the panel board, on mission drum 14 so that a predetermined which the gage instrument is located. The angular displacement of the float arm 27 gage instrument, as made up to go on a verwill cause a predetermined rotary motion tical panel board, is prl-lfierably set in an 7 of the transmission drum and shaft. These inclined position as shown in Fig. 9. The

two drums are chain-connected, the connectglass fronted housing-cup or gage casing ing chain -31 being preferably a single piece 35, having its glass 36 held on by a screw or running length of chain, Wrapped a comring 37, rests u on an inclined adapter or V plete turn or more around each drum and base 38, prefer-a ly in the form of an in- 50 with the ends of the chain located at such verted stamped on having its free edge (ii; point that they never contact with either agonally cut to t a requisite angle if the drum and connected by a variable-len 'th panel board he vertical, or to nnyadaptive ,c'onnector 32. This connector is prefera 1y angle .to or to parallelism with, a so;

a piece of ductile wire hooked to the two bottom if the one] board 39 besloped. e 55 chain ends and crimped as at 33 in such casing and adapter are united by a hollow V waves as may be ncedful to produce the stem 40,1langed as at 41 beyond the adapter V requisite tightness of the chain. I prefer wall, and spread into locking font that each drum shall have rigidly thereon with the go cup 35. In a counter at a spiral rib, as shown respectively at 14 its outlet en a small bearing: platefi is decc and 30', the spirals, as shown in F1 :3, extachabl .mounted, making a neatfit with hen the the wells of the counterbore, and 'on this float-shaft and transmission-shaft are in plate the indicator hand or pointer fif'is parallel relation the rc-haimrnns in 6 ore-8 mounted, preferably on the spherical beer- 7 form. but with the two straight reac es of ing 44 of the pointer-hub colwti with n or the chain separatednalong the shaft-axes to similar recess in the bearing 48.

Through a center opening in the bearing plate recess there loosely extends a slender stem suitably secured to the pointer hub and soldered or otherwise secure in the coupling sleeve 46 in which, also, the end of the transmitter shaft 18 is secured. ile the weight of the tra smitter shaft holds the handand its bearing late properlyin place, the cover ma be removed and the hand drawn forward the transmitter shaft pulling out of the slip coupling at its lower end, until the hearing plate 43 is out of its seat, so that lubricant may be run into the opening to distribute itself to all hearing oints along the line of the transmittr'sha t casing, including the hearing of the transmitter drum 14. The connection of thy: tl ansmitter shaft casing 19 with the stem y fitted as in a Stem bore restriction 47, beyond this the shaft housing has a fixed collar 48 borne upon by the nut 49 threaded into counterbore m the stem end and holding the parts in proper relation. The stem is externally threaded to receive a nut 50 which abuts against a small adaptcr cup 51 or other angular washer, the angnlarity of which is complemental to that of adapter base 38.

In mounting the structure on the car. with the transmitter shaft 18 and its casing properly cut to lcngth, the panel lioard assembly is mounted on the board. the attached casing-part 19 bring free at the coupling 22.. The float assembly is then mounted on the tank and its shaft casingscction is coupled to the other by the coupling 22. whereupon the transmitter shaft 18 may readily he slipped home through the gage so that its long coupling portion l may engagethe drum coupling.

The operation of the device as a motion transmitter will bc apparcnt from the foregoing dcscri aion of the parts. rise and fall of the float bring indicatcd by the swinging of thc hand 43 ovcr an appropriate dial calibratcd in accordance with thc characteristi s of the tank. lrci'crably l make the hand to swing only in a scmi-rirclc bctwcen full and empty positions, and of course the calibration of thc dial must bc accordant with both the size and thc shape of thc tank.

While I have hcrcin dcscribcd in detail a spccilic cmbodimcnt of my invcntion it will hc undcrstood that some of thc fratuncs are not limitcd to thc prccisc constructifip in which thcy ap|war in the drawings. an I that changes in dctnil may bc madc without dcparturc from the spirit of thc invcntion within the scope of the appcndcd claims.

What I claim is:

l. in an indi ator of the chnractcr dcsr'ribed. the combination of a panel-board asscmbly including a gagc casing having an opcning.a pointcr. a flcxiblc transmitter shalt connected to said pointer and of length .means to connect to extend to a gasolene tank, and having a slip-coupler member on its remote tank float assembly having a. transmission part provided with a complemental slip coupler member, to receive the shaft-carrie coupler, and a casing for the flexible shaft connecting the float and panel board assem hlies, whereby the transmitter shaft may he slipped into the shaft casing through the gage casing and into en agement with the transmitter mechanism attcr the panel board and float assemblies and shaft casing have been placed in position.

2. n a liquid level indicator, a tank-float assembly comprising a frame adapted to be mounted in a tank-orifice; separate drums that are spirally grooved, float means operatively connected to one of said drums,

other drum, and a single length chain engaging the spiral grooves of the drums.

3. In a liquid level indicator, the combination of separated drums, float means operatively connected means opcratively connected to drum, and a connector wound m the other an endless a reading member to the to one drum, reading end a course around the drums, said connector en circling each drum by at least a complete turn, and said drums having spiral ribs thereon forming spiral grooves whercin the chain may run with freedom in any angular position of the drum axes from parallelism to right angles.

4. In a liquid level indicator, thc combination of an assembly frame for carrying two drums and constructed to permit disposition of said drums in di'tlcrent angular relations. a tank into which said frame e.\'

tends, a spirally of said frame. a s nrally grooved drum near the bottom of salt framc. a float opcratively connccted with the lowcr drum and a single connector encircling thc. drums and lying in the spiral groovcs. whereby said connector may run with l'rcedom on tho drums in any :mgular-position of the drnm-axcs from parallelism to right-angles.

in a liquid level indicator, the combinationof a tloat,'a transmission drum. mcans opcrati'vcly connecting said lloat and drum. and rcading means opcrativcly conucclcd with said drum. said drum having a sin-l opcn at onc cud. a shaft cxlcnding through the open cnd of said shcll and conncctcd lo the ollu-n cnil ol' lhc drum. and bcariug means i'oialhc shaft cxtcnding hctwccn lhc shcll and shaft.

(5. in a liquid lcvcl indicator. thc comhi' nation of a lloat, a transmission drum. moans opcrativcly connccting said lloat and drum. a drum shal't. rcading means councclcd with said drum shaft, a supporting hcad adaplcd for cngagcmcnt with a tank and having thcrcin an clongatcd hub having an internal journal, said drum shaft grooved drum ncar the top bearing in and eitending beyond said hub,

drum s aft mounted interiorly in said ournal, for accessibilit to lubricant intro need through the she casing, and a drum mounted on the projecting end of said shaft.

j 8. The combination, inan indicator of the character described, of a pointer, a flexible shaft lea pointer, a casin age having a ing from said for said flexible shaft, an openin to sa' shaft casing adjacent, the or giving lubricatin -access to said casing, a float-assemb y member connected to the end of said casingland aifordmg a journal in a protruding ub, a drum shaft mounted interlorly in said journal, for accessibility to lubricant introduced through the'shaft casing, and a drum mounted on the ro'ecting end of said shaft and extending ac over the hub.

In a'float construction for a 1i uidlevel Indicator, the combination of a hen adapted to be secured to the tank, having walls dischord side of posed in an arc and a connecting rod'and'a corresponding opening in its base, a transmission member extending through the said head at right angles to the chord, a cylindrical post fitting into the head opening and havin a notch to cooperate with said chorrfi a transmitting member carried by the bottom of said post and angula-rly located with rs eetto the other transmittin member by 'e position of the chord note in the tube, and a float arm connected to said lower transmitting and sociation with the tank, a transmission shaft.

for extending to the gage, a ga e having a casin and a pointer having its ub tiltab e, self centering bearing on the easing, and a connection suspend'mgthetransmission shaft from said ointer hub. 11. In a liquid level in icator for the pur-' pose described, the combination of a tank, liquid level responsive with said tank, a motion transmittf shaft operatively connected therewith, a casing for said shaft extending to the indicator gage, a gage having a casing and a pointer with a hub afi'ordmg ranged to bear in an open centered spherical recess made in the gage casinlg, said hub hav-' ing connection through sea with said shaft. v

12. In a liquid level indicator for the purpose described, the'eombination of a tank iguid. level responsive means for connection with said tank, a motion transmitt' said shaft extending ando'pening to the indicator gage, av p'ointer having a bearing pivot connected to the transmission shafts plate aii'ording support to said .pivot damountably covering an opening to the transmitter-shaft casing. a 1; 13. In a gasolene indicator, a gage, a tank a shaft cas ng connected with said gage extending to said tank, a tIBJISmiBSIOII shaft therein, said gage having a pointer pivoted inthe gage casing and transmission shaft in the shaft casing, to

a spherical pivot -arrecess-opening means for connection shaft operatively connected therewith, a casing for connected with the suspend said shaft, a float mechanism, a slip connection between but rotatively rigid connection betweensaid floatoperated transmitting mechanism and the transmission shaft.

CLAUDE E. COX.

said float mechanism and the shaft affording an endwise-separahle 

